JOLR Article Notice – Preparedness of Online General and Special Educators to Teach Diverse Learners: A Study of Online Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions

The seventh and final article in this issue.

Remember that JOLR is an open access journal, so follow the link below to access this article.

Preparedness of Online General and Special Educators to Teach Diverse Learners: A Study of Online Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions

Breauna, C. Wall, Johns Hopkins University, United States

Journal of Online Learning Research Volume 10, Number 1, April 2024 ISSN 2374-1473 Publisher: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE), Waynesville, NC USA

Abstract

Diverse learners attending online K-12 schools deserve high quality and accessible educational programs. This research studies the preparation, knowledge, and practices of online middle school general and special educations teachers in relation to supporting the needs of diverse learners, namely students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) attending online schools. A study of the literature indicated online teachers need training and development related to meeting the needs of students with disabilities and researchers call for more studies analyzing the preparedness and support of our teachers to meet the needs of students with SLD. This study responds to this need for action through a quantitative approach to examining the perceptions of middle school teachers across nine online public schools seeking to understand their pre-service training, in-service training and ongoing professional learning related to teaching students with SLD in online schools. Teachers indicated a lack of preparation when reflecting on their pre-service training programs, in-service new teacher training and ongoing professional learning. In online schooling, it is necessary for teachers to have technological knowledge and skills to effectively teach all students. The findings from this study support an intervention that aims to improve online middle school teachers’ knowledge and skills related to teaching students with SLD in online school environments.

Citation

Wall, B.C. (2024). Preparedness of Online General and Special Educators to Teach Diverse Learners: A Study of Online Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions. Journal of Online Learning Research, 10(1), 113-148. Waynesville, NC USA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved May 7, 2024 from https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/223659/.

JOLR Article Notice – Receipt of and satisfaction with school-based and virtual special education supports and therapeutic services during the COVID-19 pandemic

The sixth article in this issue.

Remember that JOLR is an open access journal, so follow the link below to access this article.

Receipt of and satisfaction with school-based and virtual special education supports and therapeutic services during the COVID-19 pandemic

Patricia Spencer, Jorge V. Verlenden, Greta Kilmer, Sanjana Pampati, Shamia Moore, Catherine N. Rasberry, CDC, Division of Adolescent and School Health, United States ; Angelika H. Claussen, CDC, Division of Human Development and Disability, United States

Journal of Online Learning Research Volume 10, Number 1, April 2024 ISSN 2374-1473 Publisher: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE), Waynesville, NC USA

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted school-based delivery of special educational supports and therapeutic services. This study describes student receipt of school-based supports/services and parent satisfaction by instruction modalities, during the 2020–2021 academic year in the United States. Data were collected through the COVID Experiences Survey from parents of children ages 5–12 years, administered using NORC’s AmeriSpeak panel. Most parents reported satisfaction with supports (88.4%) and services (93.2%). Parents whose children received supports/services virtually were more likely to be dissatisfied than those whose children received supports/services in-person, after adjustment for child’s age and emotional, mental, developmental, behavioral, or physical condition (special educational supports: aOR=12.00, 95% CI [1.49–96.89], p=0.020; therapeutic services: aOR=15.76, 95% CI [1.01–245.40], p=0.049), suggesting opportunities to improve virtual delivery of school-based supports/services.

Citation

Spencer, P., Verlenden, J.V., Kilmer, G., Pampati, S., Moore, S., Rasberry, C.N. & Claussen, A.H. (2024). Receipt of and satisfaction with school-based and virtual special education supports and therapeutic services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Online Learning Research, 10(1), 91-112. Waynesville, NC USA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved May 7, 2024 from https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/223657/.

JOLR Article Notice – Online Learning and Instructor Feedback

The fifth article in this issue.

Remember that JOLR is an open access journal, so follow the link below to access this article.

Online Learning and Instructor Feedback

Pradeepika Samaranayake, University of North Texas, United States

Journal of Online Learning Research Volume 10, Number 1, April 2024 ISSN 2374-1473 Publisher: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE), Waynesville, NC USA

Abstract

Feedback is essential to enhance students’ performance in an online learning environment, although this is influenced by how feedback is delivered. Feedback is an assessment of learning and promotes motivation to the learner. With the COVID-19 pandemic, teaching and learning rapidly shifted to online learning, and the importance of instructor feedback became critical. A sample assessed forty-two students within an online distributed learning environment. Students were requested to rate their experience with the feedback received from the instructor. The completed questionnaire included (6) closed-ended, (5) Likert scale, and (4) open-ended questions. The research intends to discover the learner’s preference for the delivery of instructor feedback and how this impacts learners. However, the analyses emphasized that students need more engagement with the online instructor while optimizing learner-to-learner feedback that encourages the benefit of relationship and knowledge building. Keywords: Feedback, online, teaching, learning, instructor, pandemic

Citation

Samaranayake, P. (2024). Online Learning and Instructor Feedback. Journal of Online Learning Research, 10(1), 75-89. Waynesville, NC USA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved May 7, 2024 from https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/221779/.

JOLR Article Notice – What Predicts K-12 Teachers’ Technology Integration Practices in U.S Public Schools?: The Relationship Between Teachers’ Beliefs and Support

The fourth article in this issue.

Remember that JOLR is an open access journal, so follow the link below to access this article.

What Predicts K-12 Teachers’ Technology Integration Practices in U.S Public Schools?: The Relationship Between Teachers’ Beliefs and Support

Woonhee Sung, The University of Texas at Tyler, United States ; Heejung An, William Paterson University of New Jersey, United States ; Christopher L. Thomas, The University of Texas at Tyler, United States

Journal of Online Learning Research Volume 10, Number 1, April 2024 ISSN 2374-1473 Publisher: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE), Waynesville, NC USA

Abstract

This study examined K-12 public school teachers’ classroom technology integration practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, as emergency remote teaching began. Survey data were collected from 76 K-12 teachers in public schools in a Southcentral U.S. state. The data include teachers’ general beliefs about technology, their self-efficacy about technology integration, the support they received, and how frequently they implemented various types of technology-integrated activities. General linear models predicted the factors affecting the frequency of implementing technology-integrated activities as a whole group and between K-6 and 7-12 grade levels. The models showed different prediction impacts between grade levels: A significant impact of self-efficacy and interaction was found between general beliefs and support on the implementation frequency for K-6 but not for 7–12. Moderation analysis was performed to further examine the relationship between support and general beliefs on self-efficacy. A simple slope analysis showed positive effects of self-efficacy among teachers who had low to average levels of general beliefs on self-efficacy. These findings argue for the importance of support for lower-grade teachers with lower levels of general beliefs about technology integration.

Citation

Sung, W., An, H. & Thomas, C.L. (2024). What Predicts K-12 Teachers’ Technology Integration Practices in U.S Public Schools?: The Relationship Between Teachers’ Beliefs and Support. Journal of Online Learning Research, 10(1), 49-74. Waynesville, NC USA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved May 7, 2024 from https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/222763/.

JOLR Article Notice – Novice K-12 Online Teacher Support

The third article in this issue.

Remember that JOLR is an open access journal, so follow the link below to access this article.

Novice K-12 Online Teacher Support

Evelyn Fox, Mesa Public Schools, United States

Journal of Online Learning Research Volume 10, Number 1, April 2024 ISSN 2374-1473 Publisher: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE), Waynesville, NC USA

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore how novice online K-12 teachers in Arizona described the influence of organizational, interpersonal, and intrapersonal leader support on their psychological needs. To address the study purpose the author used qualitative descriptive design; using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, the study sample included 39 novice K-12 online teachers in Arizona. The author used Support for Teachers’ Psychological Needs (STPN) as the theoretical framework. Using Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA), nine themes emerged from the data that provide insight into specific leader supports in the K-12 online setting. Many organizational, interpersonal, and intrapersonal supports mimic brick-and-mortar findings. However, new supports were uncovered such as, teacher-to-student organizational supports and online communication best-practices. Recommendations included three practical ways that K-12 online leaders can increase competence, autonomy, and relatedness among their staff. This research adds to the existing body of work surrounding supports for teachers’ psychological needs by expanding its focus to the online K-12 setting. Additionally, this research was unique for its focus on novice teachers as defined by having less than 4 years of experience in the K-12 online setting.

Citation

Fox, E. (2024). Novice K-12 Online Teacher Support. Journal of Online Learning Research, 10(1), 15-48. Waynesville, NC USA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved May 7, 2024 from https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/223854/.